Int'l request for govt talks with GAM unfair: Minister

Int'l request for govt talks with GAM unfair: Minister

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda criticized the
repeated calls by the international community for Jakarta to
pursue dialog with separatist group Free Aceh Movement (GAM) as
being unfair, saying that the pressure should be directed at the
rebels instead.

Retorting to various comments from around the world regarding
the imposition of martial law in Aceh, Hassan stressed on
Thursday that the government had done enough to settle the issue
peacefully.

Speaking before 115 foreign envoys in Jakarta, Hassan said
that the Tokyo meeting last weekend, which was a last-ditch
attempt to save the peace deal, had failed because GAM refused to
accept special autonomy for Aceh under the sovereignty of
Indonesia.

"Let there be no misunderstanding that GAM, and GAM alone,
single-handedly destroyed the dialog process.

"Thus, to governments that have expressed disappointment at
the failure of the dialog process and urged its revival, our
advice is that such a call should be best addressed to GAM," he
said at the briefing.

World leaders from the United States, Australia, Japan and
Malaysia, as well as United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan,
expressed their grave concern over the imposition of martial law
in Aceh and urged Jakarta to return to the negotiating table.

Hassan emphasized that, as a sovereign nation, Indonesia had
the right to do whatever it took, including a military operation,
to defend its territorial integrity.

Moreover, Hassan said, GAM could only speak "the language of
force and terror".

"We are confident that governments in this hall would do the
same if faced with a similar challenge," he said.

Hassan also pointed out that the decision to launch a military
operation had been taken only after a long deliberation in a
democratic manner.

"We are ready to challenge any questions regarding our
decision to launch the military operation to protect our
sovereignty," the minister told the envoys.

Also present at the briefing were Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, National
Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and National Intelligence Agency
(BIN) Chief Hendropriyono.

Among those attending the meeting were U.S. Ambassador Ralph
L. Boyce, British Ambassador Richard Gozney and Japanese
Ambassador Yutaka Iimura.

At the meeting, Hassan also demanded that the international
community prove their support for Indonesia in deeds, especially
Sweden, which has provided asylum for GAM leaders Hasan Tiro and
Zaini Abdullah since 1979.

"We have a bundle of proof that these men were involved in
many terror activities. We are not asking much from foreign
governments, but please be consistent in your support for our
territorial integrity," Hassan said.

He claimed that, according to Swedish Ambassador to Indonesia
Harald Nils Erik Sanberg, who was at the briefing, the Swedish
government would provide an official response to the request as
soon as possible.

Susilo said that during the briefing, many countries
reiterated their call for dialog to remain an open option, even
in the midst of the fresh war in the province.

"Some also asked for the reduction of human suffering during
the operation in Aceh," the minister said.